Post by lagatta on Jul 21, 2015 9:45:42 GMT

Has Trump gone too far attacking John McCain's military service record? I guess if he gets away with attacking the millions of people of Mexican origin in the US, without whose work the country would grind to a halt - no crops harvested and a lot of missing staff in his hotels - he can get away with any loathsome crap.

Post by Kimby on Jul 22, 2015 19:22:58 GMT

He's an angry white man who appeals to other angry white men. Fortunately, angry white men are now a minority in the US electorate.

I think maybe the media are having so much fun reporting his antics, and raking in the ratings, that they aren't calling him out on his bigoted remarks in a way that would get him booted from the campaign.

Post by fumobici on Jul 22, 2015 20:10:18 GMT

I for one welcome Trump's presence in the race. In my perfect world it would be The Donald vs. Bernie Sanders for all the marbles. If it were to go as planned and be Hillary vs. Jeb Bush I can't imagine anyone except for a few hyper-partisans left to give a crap who won as they are both interchangeable and both stultifyingly boring. As a lefty I'd actually prefer Trump to Hillary as President, I'm so done with right wing Democrats like Clinton and Obama I'd happily take *anything* else as an alternative.

Post by Kimby on Jul 22, 2015 22:40:40 GMT

I heard that he said if he was elected, he would need to get a new hairstyle, because he would be too busy as president to fuss with his hair.Methinks he should do this sooner rather than later. Lots of Donald on a windy day photos on the Internet. Not pretty!

Post by LouisXIV on Aug 8, 2015 15:42:38 GMT

American elections can be funny has started again, almost a year and a half before the election. As for Trump, at least he is different from the others in just not saying the politically correct things. Hopefully others will take the hint and start telling it like it is. Trump is the closest thing the Republicans have for their version of a Harry Truman.

Listen to the typical politician answers the question, the first sentence may sound like they are answering the question, but then they are off reciting their stock answers that don't even come close to answering the question, but sound nice. The problem is that the masses don't seem to see through this smoke screen and vote for these idiots.

Post by Kimby on Aug 10, 2015 15:27:05 GMT

I don't like Trump, but I do believe he's being railroaded on trumped up charges on this one.

He has a much younger wife and probably hears "whatever" all the time! For him to substitute "whatever" for finishing his thought and sentence with "her nose, her ears" seems characteristically impatient for him.

His opponents have seized on this minor mis-speak and blown it way out of proportion, saying he accused her of "being hormonal". Trump is right when he says you'd have to be a deviant to hear it "that way".

But most people won't hear or remember the original quote. They'll just remember the trumped up media version.

Post by casimira on Aug 10, 2015 16:23:18 GMT

I think much of his popularity is he speaks frankly, even though many of his statements are inappropriate, he's not rehearsing what he says and speaking "like a politician".This appeals to a lot of people.

P.S. Was your use of the word "trumped up" intentional Kimby or sheer coincidence?

Post by casimira on Aug 10, 2015 16:35:28 GMT

Post by htmb on Aug 10, 2015 16:46:33 GMT

My father always used to threaten that if so and so were to be elected it would be time for the family to move to Australia. "So and so" was always a Republican. I'm not sure why he picked Australia. Possibly because of the language; most certainly because he liked all the Australians he'd ever met. Anyway, I am completely disturbed by everyone in the pool of candidates, both Republican and Democrat. It may be time for that move. OR, could we just ship the politicians off somewhere instead? Would any of you like a few extra buffoons?

Post by lizzyfaire on Aug 10, 2015 18:25:32 GMT

No thanks, we've got a few of our own.

Anyway, I thought this was interesting. We went to the Island County Fair last weekend. In the food area were the Republican stand (selling coffee) and the Democrats (selling hot dogs, ice cream, chowder, etc). Guess which one was more popular.

Who on earth would open a stand at a county fair and sell only coffee?

Post by kerouac2 on Aug 10, 2015 18:44:50 GMT

I doubt if any of us, no matter what country, would not feel guilty if we sold each other our politicians. They are absolutely the same everywhere, except perhaps in Scandinavia where they seem to be honest and dull, but for some reason that does not totally appeal either.

Post by Kimby on Aug 10, 2015 19:04:54 GMT

I think much of his popularity is he speaks frankly, even though many of his statements are inappropriate, he's not rehearsing what he says and speaking "like a politician".This appeals to a lot of people.

P.S. Was your use of the word "trumped up" intentional Kimby or sheer coincidence?

Post by fumobici on Aug 11, 2015 15:41:40 GMT

The Trump and Sanders campaigns are both insurgent in nature, both men have circumvented or brute forced past the usual gatekeeping process that assures an orderly succession of power from one nearly interchangeable pre-vetted party insider to the next. Their unanticipated successes speak to the growing dissatisfaction with the partisan status quo and I think represent the widening dissonance between the parties' bases and the policy output of their party elites. American conventional two party politics where leadership and policy decisions are forged inside an opaque elite bubble populated by a select group of entrenched insiders is under siege. I see similar dynamics in play in the UK where the electoral successes of the SNP, Neil Farage and UKIP (albeit there blunted by parliamentary electoral rules) and the likely ascendancy of Jeremy Corbyn to the leadership role of Labour attest to the widespread dissatisfaction with the status quo there as well. The party elites are losing their grip on the processes they putatively control, and I think overall this is a healthy thing. You blithely ignore the wishes of the electorate for long enough and Trumps, Sanders, Corbyns and Le Pens will emerge as a natural result to fill the vacuum created.

Post by LouisXIV on Aug 13, 2015 14:15:12 GMT

A very timely thought from Henry David Thoreau during our current political nonsense: "An efficient and valuable man does what he can, whether the community pay him for it or not. The inefficient offer their inefficiency to the highest bidder, and are forever expecting to be put in office." From Life Without Principle

Post by LouisXIV on Aug 16, 2015 13:33:04 GMT

I heard an interview with Trump the other day and when they ask him what he would do about the IRS, he said he would put H. & R. Block out of business. I found it an interesting way of stating he would simplify the system. I really don't feel anyone or company should have to pay someone to calculate their tax liability and I also feel there should be only one form, printed only on one side. Our present system is so complicated, no one can figure it out, unfair to almost everyone, except the people in power, one of the oldest tools of power, keep the masses in a potential state of confusion and that is exactly what our current tax code does. Congress will say they will lower taxes in one way and then make other changes in the code that in the net effect raises taxes. It is just more trickery from Washington.

Post by kerouac2 on Aug 16, 2015 17:06:13 GMT

Maybe they should take a look at other countries. It has taken me a grand total of 2 minutes to do my taxes in France for the last 6 or 7 years. I just go online and look at what has already been declared as revenue, taxable interest, stock dividends or whatever. If I have made deductible donations to charity, I enter them with the tax code on the receipt. And then I just click on "validate" and the computer tells me what to expect as my tax amount for the year. There is no paper at all and nothing to figure out.

Obviously, entrepreneurs, wheeler dealers, lawyers, etc., have to work on their taxes a little more (but who cares, since they earn so much more money?), but 90% of people no longer have anything to do.

In France, too, the tax laws are confusing and change all the time, but at least it is all entered into the computer of the Ministry of Finance and the computer does all of the work.

Post by LouisXIV on Aug 16, 2015 21:17:06 GMT

Kerouac2, I like that concept until I read the last paragraph: "In France, too, the tax laws are confusing and change all the time", that's the whole problem with all tax laws, the are so confusing and if you look closely you will see that they are written to the advantage of the people with the money and in power. In your example for France maybe is nice to have a simple, free, computer to calculate your tax, and do all the work, it hides all the confusion and change in a computer and the masses are still being hoodwinked. No, simplify, simplify, simplify.

As to the wheeler dealers, yes, we can really simplify their tax computation, instead of an income tax on their profits, make a sales tax on each sale of stock. Much easier to enforce and collect and that will eliminate all their fancy tax deductions that allow many to not pay any tax.

Post by kerouac2 on Aug 17, 2015 4:49:41 GMT

Actually, the tax laws just swing back and forth depending on whether it is the left or the right in power, same as any other country. No matter who is elected in the United States (or France), it will be the same thing all over again at the next election.

France does have a sort of Tobin tax on monetary speculation and stock sales, but just about every other country in the world refuses the concept.

Post by htmb on Sept 18, 2015 11:03:15 GMT

I watched the first hour of the three hour Republican presidential debate on Wednesday night. I'm not sure if I'll go back and watch the rest. One hour was enough to make me ill. I did realize one thing though. I cannot stand Donald Trump but, for whatever he is, I am now reminded there are even far worse candidates out there. Rubio, Cruz, and Fiorino scare me to death with their "shoot first and ask questions later" stances on international relations.